In spite of objections and cautions from environmentalists, workers, and heavy machinery continue to damage the mangroves in Laguna Saladilla as they work to construct a border wall near Monte Cristi. This area is protected by several laws, including Law 64-00 on the Environment and Natural Resources and the Sectoral Law on Protected Areas 202-04, as well as international agreements such as Ramsar. The wall divides the wetland, severely limiting water flow and harming the environment and wildlife in the region. President of the Manzanillo Bay Center for Regional Development, Frank Valenzuela, reports that thousands of linear meters of mangroves have already been devastated and that the rest of the lagoon will dry up unless the Ministry of the Environment intervenes.
The Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic (ACRD) has expressed concern about the wall’s impact and suggested alternative options to construct fences or physical barriers that are less damaging to the environment and more cost-effective than the current wall. Director of the “Acción Verde” Foundation, Nelson Bautista, warns that if action is not taken, the protected area and mangrove swamp will disappear, and the remaining mangroves will be exploited by the Haitians.
Environmentalists and institutions have suggested eliminating the unnecessary section of the wall or implementing a tourism project or ecological corridor to continue the border crossing without negatively impacting the wetland.